An Alabama man has been arrested for his role in the late-night detonation of an explosive device outside the office of state Attorney General Steve Marshall in February.
Authorities took Kyle Benjamin Douglas Calvert, 26, of Irondale, into custody on Wednesday on charges of malicious use of an explosive and possession of an unregistered destructive device, the Justice Department said.
Investigators arrested Calvert weeks after an explosive device went off around 3:45 a.m. on Feb. 24 outside Marshall’s office in Montgomery.
“My staff and I are breathing a collective sigh of relief this morning knowing that this individual has been taken off the streets,” Marshall said in a statement.
“Although more information will be provided in the weeks to come, I think it is safe to say that this was not a random act of violence,” he added. “We are grateful to our federal and local partners for their assistance in this matter and are pleased that the offender faces federal charges carrying significant prison time.”
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) said authorities were notified of a suspicious package the Monday after the explosion. The package was confirmed as the device that was detonated days earlier.
“This IED used commercially available pyrotechnic fireworks as the main explosive charge, a coffee can as a concealment container, and was enhanced with added fragmentation and ignitable liquids,” an FBI agent wrote, according to court documents.
“The addition of metal screws, nails, and other hardware to this IED demonstrates weaponization characteristics due to the enhanced fragmentation effect that those materials would create. The addition of ignitable liquids to the IED demonstrates weaponization characteristics due to the enhanced ability for the IED to initiate a fire.”
No one was hurt and no major damage to nearby buildings was reported.
The device was detonated at around 3:45 a.m. on Feb. 24 outside of Marshall’s office in downtown Montgomery, Alabama. (Google Maps)
Surveillance footage released by authorities at the time showed a man walking on a sidewalk minutes after the incident. Investigators have not disclosed a motive.
Charging documents against Calvert state that he placed stickers on state buildings at the time of the bombing with graphics advocating for various political ideologies, AL.com reported. Some allegedly included the phrase “Support your local antifa.”
Antifa, a far-left militant movement that calls itself “antifascist,” is known for violently confronting those with opposing political views in mostly left-wing cities.
Calvert faces up to 20 years in prison.